Shade stop



' March 19, 1929, $TR0NG$QN 1,706,261

SHADE STOP Filed Sept. 14, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet i INVENTOR F HERMAN L. STRONGSON E] BY p March 19, 1929. H. 1.. STRCNGSON SHADE STOP Filed Sept. 14, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HERMAN NVENTOR L STRONGSON BY TTORNEY5 March 19, 1929. $TRQNG$QN 1,706,261

I SHADE STOP Filed Sept. 14, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR HERMAN L. STRONGSON Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES HERMAN L. STRONGSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHADE STOP.

Application filed September 14, 1.827. Serial No. 219,498.

Thisinvention relates to shade roller fixtures for use in connection with window shades of all kinds and has several objects in view as will be explained.

A main object of this invention is to provide means to stop the rotation of the shade roller when the lower end of the shade reaches a position proximate the roller to prevent the shade from flopping, beating and unrolling when it is accidentally released from ones hand.

Another object is to provide various modifications of the shade roller fixture wherein the invention is made useful on all forms of vindows and shade roller construction.

A further object is to provide a fixture which includes stop means to engage a shade stick or the like intermediate its end so as to avoid throwing all the strain on the shade near its outer edges. In this way the shade roller is restrained against the usual unrolling action by gripping the shade stick along its entire length. which is to say that the sudden strain and force, incident to stopping a rapidly running shade, is applied throughout the width of the shade thereby avoiding damage to the shade which would result if the strain were thrown merely on its edges.

Further objects of the invention are to make the fixture adjustable in length by which it is fitted to any width window and hence to any length shade roller, and to make a fixture which is easily attached to the roller, and which does not necessarily require nails or screws by which it is installed on the window casing, and to provide means by which the device is held or locked against rotation to prevent it from being displaced about the axis of the shade roller when the rapidly running shade is suddenly stopped.

The accompanying drawings show several examples of the invention which are capable of being altered in various particulars, and wherein,

Figures 1 through 7 show the first form of the invention. Figure 1 is a front view of a window casing and-shade, and more particularly showing a shade roller fixture mounted on the shade roller. Figure 2 is an end view of the shade roller with the fixture mounted thereonand removed from the window to afford an unobstructed view of that end of the shade roller which is ordinarily provided with a round shaft or trunnion. Figure 3 is a view showing the other end of the shade roller, being the square shaft end, with the fixture in place. Figure 4: shows a cross section 011 the line l-l of Figure 1 which illustrates the manner of gripping the tapered shade stick between the spaced stop members. Figure 5 is a plan view of the fixture removed from the shade and Figure 6 is a longitudinal section side View through one of the telescoping shade stick guide and stop members. Figure 7 shows the pair of support or swing arms which carry the shade stop means.

Figures 8 and 5) show a second form of the invention for new house work wherein the shade roller bracket is made to also carry the stop means to reduce the number of parts. Figure'S is a front view of the shade roller carried by the novel bracket and the view also shows the brackets extended downwardly to carry novel shade stick stop means. Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of the fixture shown in Figure 8 but with the shade removed.

Figures 10 and 11 show a third form of the shade roller fixture, Figure 10' being a perspective view of the fixture made from two pieces of flat telescoping tubes, and Figure 1 is a cross section.

Figures 12 through 14 illustrate a fourth form of the invention wherein another novel locking means prevents displacement of the fixture, Figure 12 being an enlarged view of one end of the shade roller with which the modified fixture is attached, and a locking ear engages theshade roller bracket. Figure 13 shows a sectional view taken on the line 1313 of Figure 12. Figure 14 is a perspective view of one of the novel arms which carry the shade guide stop, showin the locking ear. This view also shows a slot leading to the shade roller shaft bearing by which the fixture is installed without removing the shade roller.

In accordance with the principles of this invention, 1 construct a shade guide and roller stop by providing support means mounted concentric in respect to the shade roller axis and said means is suspended beneath the shade and is so constructed that it leaves the entire shade free and exposed to view. The support means carries a stop against which the shade stick or equivalent means comes to rest when the shade flies up and the roller is therefore prevented from unwinding, an important feature being that the stop may engage the shade across the entire width of the form, there is shown an ordinary shade roller R on which the shade S is rolled in the usual way, and the shade S maybe provided with a conventional pull cord P. Ordinary shade roller support brackets B are anchored to the window case and in which the square shaft SQ, of the shade roller is mounted as well as the round shaft RS at the other end of the shade roller which is a well known construction. A- shade stick ST or other lower shade end means is carried on the free end of the shade S. The shade roller R is driven by an inside concealed spring, as everyone knows, adapted to wind up the shade, and it is well known that the shade frequently gets out of control because the pull P or stick S becomes released from ones hand with the result that the shade beats about the window casing so it must then be taken down and the spring rewound and remounted, all of which leads to inconvenience and wear and tear on the shade. I

In general this invention affords means for engaging and stopping the shade stick ST along its full length or at its center so as to afford a positive stop without tearing or damaging the shade when the pull P is released from ones hands. To this end, support meansin the form of depending arms 12 and 13fare provided with hearing apertures 14 and 15. The bearing apertures are mounted on the respective round shaft RS and square f shaft SQ, of the shade roller with a result that the two support arms 12 and 13 hand down from the shade roller shafts and are concentric therewith. The support arms may be offset at 16 so as to bring the lower end of the arms out away from the edge of the shade to afford a running-and guiding clearance between the edge ofthe shade and fixture. A suitable shade stick stop, such as parallel 'telescoping tubes, or other stop means, are

carried by the arms 12 and 13 to swing concentric with and beneath the shade roller. To th s end one arm 13 may have a pair of large size tubes 18 anchored therein. The other arm 12 has small tubes 19 anchored thereto.

support arms 12 and 13 are in fact carried on the ends of the telescoping tubes. In this way the arms 12 and 13 are adjustable apart and may be brought closer or further away from one another to accommodate any width shade and any length roller. For a long roller, the telescoping tubes 18 and 19 are pulled outwardly and for a short roller the shade tubes are slid together inwardly, the

object being toso place the bearing apertures 14 and 15 upon the square and round roller shafts at each end of the shade roller R that the shade stick stop 18-19 swings freely beneath theroller with the shade cloth S placed therebetween.

' The shade cloth .8 is operatively placed between the telescoping tubes 18 and 19 in any convenient manner. For example the shade stick ST may be removed from the shade, whereupon the shade is readily threaded through the two spaced telescoping tubes, and

then the stickis replaced. On the other hand, 7

the telescoping tubes may be pulled apart one from the other and replaced by assembling the fixture fromeach edge of the shade. as the arms 12 and 13 are placed on the shafts at each end of the roller, this latter method renderipg unnecessary the removal of the shade stic r The shade roller stop members 18 and 19 may be spaced apart just far enough to admit the thin edge of-the shade stick but prevent the lower thick edge thereof from being jerked through the telescoping tubes when the shade flies up. In this way the thin edge of the shade stick enters the space in the shade stop 1819 and wedges thereinbctween with the result that the strain is evenly applied along the full length of the stick and shade which avoids undue strain at any one point.

The first formof the device is a simple fixture which is readily. attached to shades already in use, but I will now describe one for new house work wherein is combined a new shade guide stop form ofthe invention which is modified in two improved respects. 'The shade bracket which itself supports the roller is improved in a way to make it carry the telescoping tubes or other stop means for engagement with the window shade stick; and the position of the telescoping tubes is improved bymounting a small and large tube carried on each bracket so that this tubearrangement is a staggered one thereby affording a space of uniform width between the tubes for the full length thereof as will now be described.

In connection with this modification, F igures 8 and 9) a shade roller bracket 22 is provided with screw or nail holes by which the bracket can be anchored to the wall of'the building in theusual way. The'lower end of each bracket 22 ,is extended to provide an arm 23 which supports the shade stick stop means. This construction affords a one piece bracket and arm by which both the roller and shade guide stop device are carried by a one piece member thus simplifying the construction. It is used in new work where a shade is first installed as in new building.

The arrangement of the parallel spaced telescoping tubes in Figure 8 is also somewhat differentfrom the former views. in that a large tube 24 and a small tube 25 have theirrends anchored to the lower end 23 of each bracket. In this way the telescoped stop guides are arranged in offset or staggered relation in that each arm 23 is made to carry a small tube and a large tube so that when these units are placed together. the construction will be as shown in Figure 9 which constitutes one preferred arrangement for either type of bracket, the old one B, the new one 22, or any other bracket. This arrangement equally balances the weight of the fixture and more particularly places a large and small tube at each end thereby better accommodating the shade stick therebetween, the result of which'is to provide a construction which more evenly and uniformly engages the shade stick throughout its length.

Referring now to a third form of the construction as shown in Figures 10 and 11, oval or'flat telescoping tubes and 81 are slidable one in the other. The outer end of each tube is flattened and bent to form parallel suspension arms 32. The upper ends of the arms are provided with square perforations 33 to receive the shafts or trunnions of the shade roller. Bot-h ends of this shade guide stop may be punched with a square hole 83 so that the ends of the fixture are interchangeable and is readily placed in position on the shade roller regardless of which ends of a roller or fixture are brought together. This guide and stop 3031 is provided with a lengthwise slot 34 through which the shade freely runs. The width of the slot 34: is just sufficient to engage a shade stick or any other. enlargement carried on the lower, end of a shade.

Coming now to the fourth form of the invention shown in Figures 12 through let, there is illustrated an arm suspended a bearing aperture 4e from the square shaft SQ of the shade roller R and the shade S is shown depending from the roller. The upper end of this arm is made with an outturned car 41 which rests within and engages the shade bracket slot SB which receives the square shaft end of any roller. By making the ear a l slightly narrower than the. *idth of the slot SB, it follows that the lower end of the arm 41 is capable of a limited rocking or pivotal motion beneath the shade roller. This motion is limited reason of the ear ll resting within the slot SB of the bracket and for that reason the arm 40 is locked against rotation about the shaft roller R, and therefore the force of a shade stick coming to a sudden step will not'swing the arm 40 out of normal vertical position.

There is provided any suitable form of shade engaging stop or guiding means on the lower end of the arm or arms 40. i For example there is shown the parallel telescoping tubes or rods 43betWeen which the shade free- 1y runs and against which the shade stick or other enlargement is adapted to engage and thereby stop and prevent the unrolling of the shade roller.

As shown in Figure 14, I may in some uses:

provide a slot l5 which extends into the hearing aperture 44. This slot is sufliciemly wide to permit the arm -20 to be mounted in service position on the shafts of the shade roller. By tilting the arm a0 at an angle until the slot 45 passes over the shade roller shafts, the latter are received into the bearing 44. In this way, the fixture may be mounted on the shade roller without removing the shade from the bracket B, the arms a0 being made of thin stock so they may be carried on the roller shafts between the roller and the brackets secured to the building.

In the operation and use of this shade fixture, the shade is actuated in the usual way and runs between the spaced stop means of whatever character chosen, for example the parallel spaced tubes or rods. In order to run the shade all the way to the top it is only necessary to give the shade a slight pull and turn it loose whereiugon it rapidly travels to the top and comes to a stop when the shade stick engages the spaced stop means as shown and described.

This invention serves to protect the shade from wear and tear since the device guides the shade in its upper travel and affords positive means to prevent the unwinding of the shade roller and the invention is presented to fill a need felt for such a device. which is now accomplished by mounting the stop means directly beneath the shade and engaging the shade stick for its full length, and also by mounting the support arm concentric with the shade. It is known that many attempts have been made to provide such improvenents, but I am not aware of any fixture based on the principles of n y invention and which has a like mode of operation.

The dotted line position of parts in: Figure 2 shows how the shade may be )ulled outwardlv at an angle followed by the freely pivoted fixture. This is true. of other forms of the device. Even in the form including the locking ear 41, the latter is small and loosely fits within the slot of bracket B with the result that the fixture is free to swing beneath the shade roller shafts.

It is significant that my invention provides a new principle of construction for shade stops in that a stop means of some suitable character is mounted proximate the shade S and is carried between the arms 12 and 13, or 28, 32, or 40 so that the shade stick may come in contact with the stop means. In this way. the contact or stopping engagement and resulting strain is applied remotely from the shade edges so to throw the strain on the shade portions other than at the edges. While the double stop rod construction 18'19, and the single stop rod construction 30, are shown by *ay of example to explain my invention, other forms of double or single stop rods may be employed without depart- .ing from the principles of my invention.

It is alsoapparent that ordinarily a shade stop is suspended from the shade S and is therefore beneath the shade, but it may be mounted in other positions depending upon the position of the shade and the manner in which itlis installed in the window when one comes to place or install one of these shade stops in service position. I

The arms may be punched with round apertures lt and as in the first form of the invention, or with square or rectangular shaped apertures 33 or shaft openings as in the third form of the'invention. In the lat-- ter case, the square shaft, which is ordinarily found on one end of a shade roller, is locked against turning by reason of the bracket B. Therefore i I use square shaft hole 33 in any form of the invention, it follows that the rods l8 19 or are also corresponding- 1y locked against rotation, and the device cannot be displaced from its most eiiicient operative position; Thus it is an advantage to use a square shaft hole 33 at one end of the shade stop, and in one bracket at least, so as to engage the square shaft of the shade roller.

hat I claim is:

l. A shade roller fixture comprising, sup port means carried proximate each end of a shade roller, a pair of parallel rods the ends of which are carried by the support means, and said rods being spaced apart to permit the shade to travel therebetween and agalnst which a shade stick comes to rest.

2. A shade roller fixture comprising, an arm provided with an aperture adapted to be carried. or ithe shaft at each end of a shade roller and supported freely therefrom, and

means carried by and between the arms and held proximate the shade roller and between which the shade travels and against which a shade stick comes to rest. A shade roller fixture comprising, an armprovided with an aperture adapted to be [placed on the shaft at each end of a shade i; ler and depending freely therefrom, a pair of rods the ends of which are anchored in the arms, and said rods being arranged parallel and being spaced apart between which the shade travels and against which a shade stick comes to rest.

- 4;. A shade roller fixture comprising an arm provided with an aperture adapted to be placed on the shaft at each end of a shade roller and depending freely therefrom, a shade stop carried by the arms hanging freelyund'erneath the shade, said shade stopcomprisin means between which the shade travels, and-said means being spaced apart suiiistop rods having their ends fixed to the lower ends of the arms, and said rods, being spaced apart to permit the shade to travel therebetween and to act as a stop againstwhich a shade stick comes to rest. 1

6. A shade roller fixture comprising, a pair of arms each of which are provided at end thereof With an aperture adapted "to be mounted on the shaft of a shade roller at each end thereof, a pair of parallel shade stick stop rods having th ir ends fixed to the arms, and means included in-the structure of the pair of rods to increase or decrease their length according to the wi'dth of a window and shade, and said rods being spaced apart to pcrmit the shade to travel therebetween and to actas a stop against which a shade stick comes to rest. i

7. A shade roller fixture comprising, a pair of arms each of which'are provided with an aperture adapted to be placed on" the shaft of a shade roller at each end thereof, a pair of parallel shade stick rods having their ends fixedto the'arms, and each of said rods comprising a pair of telescoping members .shdable one 111 the other by which the fixture is adjusted to accommocate any width shade and window.

8. A shade roller fixture comprising, a pair of arms each of which are provided with a bearing aperture adapted to be placed on the shaft of a shade roller at each end thereof, a pair of parallel shade stick stop'tubes'having their ends fixed to the arms, and eachof said tubes comprising a pair, of telescoping members shdable one in the other by which the fixture is adjusted to accommodate any together to complete the fixture.

' 10. A shade roller fixture con'iprising, a pair ofsupport arms each of which'are provided with a bearing aperture adapted to be placed on a shade roller shaft, a pair of spaced parallel tubes anchored to each support arm; and a small andlarge spaced parallel tube anchored to each arm, whereby said small and large tubeon one arm are telewhereby the two pairs of tubes are telescoped scoped onto the small and large tube on the other arm by which the space between the tubes is made uniform throughout.

11. A shade roller fixture comprising a pair of shade roller brackets havingapertures therein to receive a shaft at each end of a shade roller, and having nail or screw holes therein to anchor the bracket to a window casing, and a pair of spaced parallel rods the ends of which are carried by the brackets and between which rods a shade travels and against which rods a shade stick comes to rest.

12. A shade roller fixture comprising, support means carried concentric to the shaft at each end of shade roller, and shade stop device carried on the end of the support means and extending throughout the width of the shade and against which a shade stick is stopoed, and said device being adapted to be held proximate the shade roller and so formed as to leave the shade and roller exposed to 13. A shade roller fixture comprising, an arm adaptedto besuspended from a point proximate each end of a shade roller, a shade stop carried with the lower end of each arm and against which a shade stick is stopped and extending throughout the width-of the shade and means to lock at least one arm against rotation relatively to the roller.

I 14. A shade roller fixture comprising, an arm adap ed to be suspended from a point proximate each end of a shade roller and concentric with the roller, a shade stop carried with the lower end of each arm and against which a shade stick is stopped and extending throughout the width of the shade, and means to lock the arm against rotation relatively to the roller. w

15. A shade roller fixture comprising, a pair of arms each of which is made with-an aperture by which the arms are suspended from a shade roller shaft, means cooperating with the shaft and apertures by which one or both arms are locked against rotation on the shaft, and means carried by the pair of arms and extending throughout the width of the shade and against which a shade stick is stopped.

16. A shade roller fixture comprising, a

pair of arms each of which is made with an aperture by which the arms are suspended from a shade roller shaft, at least one arm being provided with an aperture including straight sides and corners and thus made square to fit the square shaft on one end of a shade roller, and means carried by the pair of arms against which a shade stick is stopped.

17. A shade roller fixture comprising, a pair of arms provided with square apertures to receive the shafts of a shade roller and thus be locked against rotation, and means carried by the arms against which a Shade stick is stopped.

18. A shade roller fixture comprising, a pair of arms provided with square apertures to receive the shafts of a shade roller and thus be locked against rotation, and :1V shade guide and stop member having each end anchored in the lower ends of the arms, and said member reaching from one arm to the other and including spaced means between which a shade travels and against which a shade stick is stopped and engaged throughout the full length of the stick.

19. A shade roller fixture, adapted to be mounted on the shafts at the ends of a shade roller, comprising an arm provided with a bearing aperture, 21 slot extending through the arm to the hearing aperture by which the shaft of a shade roller is introduced into the bearing aperture, and a shade stop carried on the lower end of the arm and extending and engaging throughout the width of the shade and length of a shade stick.

20. A shade roller fixture comprising, a pair of tubes telescoped one in the other and slidably adjustable to vary the length of the fixture, and each tube end being flattened and bent at right angles to provide two spaced parallel arms, each of said arms being provided with a bearing aperture to receive a shade roller shaft, and said telescoped tubes bein'g provided with a slot extending length wise Irom arm to arm and within which a shade is guided.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HERMAN L. STRONGSON. 

